“Pastry chefs occupy a very special place in the pecking order of a high flying restaurant kitchen, so…I take my dessert skills as seriously as I do all my cooking” – Gordon Ramsay
Desserts by Gordon Ramsay is not a new book by any means, but definitely one that needs to be a part of any aspiring pastry guru’s library. It is packed full of recipes for the basics of French pastry shops with slight adaptations for the home kitchen. The layout is simple and very straightforward, lots of pictures and useful tips/tricks for each recipe. His flavour combinations are innovative and most of these desserts would be a great hit at any dinner party. Also, all of his recipes are in metric measurements allowing for consistence and a positive result every time.
My favourite recipe so far is the Pumpkin Cheesecake, a very light and airy dessert (as opposed to the heavy North American counterparts). The fluffy mascarpone and creme fresh topping is slightly baked with a thin layer of genoise sponge (simple vanilla sponge) underneath, giving this entire cake smooth and silky mouthfeel. There’s very little in the way of spices, other than a little vanilla bean and orange zest, so the sweetness of the pumpkin puree definitely shines through. This cake has become my new fall favourite and will definitely slowly replace the overbearing pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving dinners.
PS: For those who aren’t quite convinced, I will be returning my copy to the library so try it before you buy it!
